Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong (China) and Italy

For one person, living is cheaper in Italy: $1,843 a month against $3,046 in Hong Kong (China), rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Hong Kong (China)
Italy
🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)
$3,046
/mo nomad
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,843
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hong Kong (China) and in Italy

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Hong Kong (China) and in Italy actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,046 per month in Hong Kong (China) vs $1,843 in Italy, rent included.

  • Hong Kong (China) $3,046
  • Italy $1,843

A couple spends around $4,715 per month in Hong Kong (China) vs $2,816 in Italy, rent included.

  • Hong Kong (China) $4,715
  • Italy $2,816

A family of three spends $6,384 per month in Hong Kong (China) vs $3,788 in Italy, rent included.

  • Hong Kong (China) $6,384
  • Italy $3,788

The regional cost range is wider in Italy ($1,038–$2,555) than in Hong Kong (China) ($3,028–$3,028), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Hong Kong (China) is about 65% higher than in Italy on average.

Both Hong Kong (China) and Italy are pricier than the global median – Hong Kong (China) by 124%, Italy by 35%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hong Kong (China)
Italy
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.47 HK$66.5
$20.46 €18.38
-58.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$64.7 HK$508
$79.5 €71.4
-18.58%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.25 HK$49.02
$11.15 €10.02
-43.95%
Cappuccino
$5.17 HK$40.58
$2.04 €1.83
153.43%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 HK$10.28
$3.10 €2.79
-57.74%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.13 HK$8.88
$1.40 €1.26
-19.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.44 HK$58.4
$5.51 €4.95
35.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.54 HK$51.3
$5.74 €5.16
13.94%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hong Kong (China)
Italy
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.90 HK$22.76
$1.57 €1.41
84.71%
White Bread (500g)
$2.35 HK$18.47
$2.38 €2.14
-1.26%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.25 HK$17.68
$2.90 €2.60
-22.41%
Eggs
$3.45 HK$27.10
$4.07 €3.66
-15.23%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$24.79 HK$194
$17.44 €15.67
42.14%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.85 HK$69.4
$12.56 €11.28
-29.54%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.08 HK$142
$20.17 €18.12
-10.36%
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 HK$31.77
$2.58 €2.32
56.98%
Banana (1kg)
$2.62 HK$20.55
$2.19 €1.97
19.63%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.71 HK$36.93
$2.68 €2.41
75.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.95 HK$30.95
$3.27 €2.94
20.80%
Potato (1kg)
$3.21 HK$25.15
$1.90 €1.71
68.95%
Onion (1kg)
$3.22 HK$25.24
$1.82 €1.63
76.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.66 HK$13.00
$1.57 €1.41
5.73%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 HK$13.92
$0.55 €0.49
221.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.43 HK$105
$6.69 €6.01
100.75%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.22 HK$119
$7.99 €7.18
90.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 HK$15.50
$1.77 €1.59
11.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 HK$17.95
$2.35 €2.11
-2.55%
🚌 Getting Around
Hong Kong (China)
Italy
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.34 HK$10.50
$1.91 €1.72
-29.84%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$89.5 HK$702
$43.44 €39.03
106.05%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.73 HK$29.22
$5.62 €5.05
-33.63%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.36 HK$10.66
$1.71 €1.54
-20.47%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.00 HK$126
$33.64 €30.22
-52.44%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$3.98 HK$31.21
$2.03 €1.82
96.06%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$44.5K HK$348.9K
$35.3K €31.7K
25.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.6K HK$295.3K
$36.7K €33.0K
2.45%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hong Kong (China)
Italy
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$239 HK$1,878
$227 €204
5.67%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.99 HK$125
$11.59 €10.41
37.96%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$21.59 HK$169
$30.38 €27.30
-28.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hong Kong (China)
Italy
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$98.3 HK$771
$51.8 €46.52
89.96%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$9.38 HK$73.6
$23.70 €21.29
-60.42%
Cinema Ticket
$12.59 HK$98.8
$10.60 €9.53
18.77%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hong Kong (China)
Italy
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,280 HK$10.0K
$568 €510
125.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.6K HK$177.3K
$11.5K €10.4K
96.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hong Kong (China)
Italy
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.8 HK$531
$90.5 €81.3
-25.15%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.21 HK$339
$38.55 €34.64
12.09%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$82.9 HK$650
$103 €92.2
-19.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 HK$973
$131 €118
-5.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hong Kong (China)
Italy
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,373 HK$18.6K
$826 €742
187.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,777 HK$13.9K
$646 €581
174.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,399 HK$42.4K
$1,400 €1,258
285.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,614 HK$28.4K
$1,054 €947
242.81%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$29.5K HK$231.1K
$3,662 €3,290
704.55%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$17.9K HK$140.2K
$2,301 €2,068
676.58%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hong Kong (China)
Italy
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,297 HK$25.9K
$1,886 €1,695
74.80%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.79
3.56
6.46%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Hong Kong (China): October 25, 2026

Last update for Italy: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Hong Kong (China)
$1.8K
Italy
$646 63.6% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Hong Kong (China)
$412
Italy
$348 15.5% $64
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hong Kong (China)
$277
Italy
$269 3.1% $8.5
Eating Out
Hong Kong (China)
$209
Italy
$279 33.5% $70
Clothing & Footwear
Hong Kong (China)
$143
Italy
$163 14.1% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Hong Kong (China)
$124
Italy
$73 40.9% $51
Getting Around
Hong Kong (China)
$105
Italy
$65 38.1% $40

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $2,432 in Hong Kong (China) vs $729 in Italy. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,432 in Hong Kong and $1,297 in Rome.

Average salary: $3,264 in Hong Kong (China) vs $1,890 in Italy. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 234% higher in Hong Kong (China).

Dining out costs 16% more in Italy.

Public transport is 105% more expensive in Hong Kong (China).

Salaries are 73% higher in Hong Kong (China).

Good to know
🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)
🇮🇹 Italy
🕒 Local time
17:29 5:29 PM
10:29 10:29 AM
7 h behind Hong Kong (China)
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
7,413,070
58,850,717
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to HKD – Hong Kong Dollar Converter

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 7.84 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.73 HKD (1 HKD = 0.115 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hong Kong (China) Italy 9,280 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Hong Kong (China)
  • Italy

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Hong Kong (China) vs Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is cheaper: Hong Kong (China) or Italy?
Italy is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 40% lower on average.
Is rent more expensive in Hong Kong (China) or in Italy?
Housing costs more in Hong Kong (China): a central one-bedroom averages $2,432 versus $729 in Italy.
Which country is better for expats: Hong Kong (China) or Italy?
Italy is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.

Hong Kong (China) vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar countries

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?